Support member for battery pack top housing

ABSTRACT

A battery pack that is connectable to and supportable by a power tool (e.g., a hand-held power tool). The battery pack includes a top housing having a support member. The support member of the battery pack top housing is configured or operable to reinforce a support portion of the battery pack that is used to connect the battery pack to the power tool. By reinforcing the support portion of the battery pack, an interface between the battery pack and the power tool is able to withstand greater forces (e.g., from vibrations caused by the power tool).

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Pat. Application No.17/828,638, filed May 31, 2022, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat.Application No. 17/185,067, filed Feb. 25, 2021, which is a continuationof U.S. Pat. Application No. 16/292,679, filed Mar. 5, 2019, now U.S.Pat. No. 10,938,079, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. ApplicationNo. 16/106,836, filed Aug. 21, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,249,854, whichis a continuation of U.S. Pat. Application No. 15/173,007, filed Jun. 3,2016, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Pat. Application No.62/171,731, filed Jun. 5, 2015, the entire contents of all of which arehereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

This invention relates to a power tool battery pack.

SUMMARY

This invention provides a battery pack that is connectable to andsupportable by a power tool (e.g., a hand-held power tool). The batterypack includes a top housing having a support member. The support memberof the battery pack top housing is configured or operable to reinforce asupport portion of the battery pack that is used to connect the batterypack to the power tool. By reinforcing the support portion of thebattery pack, an interface between the battery pack and the power toolis able to withstand greater forces applied to the interface (e.g., fromvibrations caused by the power tool, from the weight of the batterypack, etc.).

In one embodiment, the invention provides a battery pack that isconnectable to and supportable by a power tool. The battery packincludes a housing. The housing includes a support portion operable tointerface the battery pack with the power tool. The support portionincludes a support member operable to reinforce the support portion. Thesupport member is made of a different material than the housing.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a battery pack that isconnectable to and supportable by a power tool. The battery packincludes a housing. The housing includes a top housing. The top housingincludes a support portion operable to interface the battery pack withthe power tool. The support portion includes a support member operableto reinforce the support portion. The support member is made of ametallic material.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a battery pack that isconnectable to and supportable by a power tool. The battery packincludes a housing. The housing includes a support portion operable tointerface the battery pack with the power tool. The support portionincludes a support member operable to reinforce the support portion. Thesupport member is made of a different material than the top housing andincludes a first portion, a second portion, a third portion, a fourthportion, and a fifth portion. The first portion and the second portionare approximately perpendicular to the third portion and the fourthportion. The first portion is approximately parallel to the secondportion, and the third portion is approximately parallel to the fourthportion. The fifth portion is approximately perpendicular to the firstportion and the second portion and approximately parallel to the thirdportion and the fourth portion.

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of the configuration and arrangement of components set forthin the following description or illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of beingpracticed or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to beunderstood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for thepurpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The useof “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof hereinare meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalentsthereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limitedotherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled”and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct andindirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings.

In addition, it should be understood that embodiments of the inventionmay include hardware, software, and electronic components or modulesthat, for purposes of discussion, may be illustrated and described as ifthe majority of the components were implemented solely in hardware.However, one of ordinary skill in the art, and based on a reading ofthis detailed description, would recognize that, in at least oneembodiment, the electronic based aspects of the invention may beimplemented in software (e.g., stored on non-transitorycomputer-readable medium) executable by one or more processing units,such as a microprocessor and/or application specific integrated circuits(“ASICs”). As such, it should be noted that a plurality of hardware andsoftware based devices, as well as a plurality of different structuralcomponents may be utilized to implement the invention. For example,“servers” and “computing devices” described in the specification caninclude one or more processing units, one or more computer-readablemedium modules, one or more input/output interfaces, and variousconnections (e.g., a system bus) connecting the components.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration ofthe detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a battery pack for a power tool according to anembodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 4-5 illustrate battery cells included in the battery pack of FIG.1 .

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of a top housing of the battery packof FIG. 1 that includes a support member.

FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of the top housing of the batterypack of FIG. 1 that includes the support member.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the top housing of the battery pack of FIG. 1that includes the support member.

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the top housing of the battery pack of FIG. 1that includes the support member.

FIG. 10 is a right-side view of the top housing of the battery pack ofFIG. 1 that includes the support member.

FIG. 11 is a left-side view of the top housing of the battery pack ofFIG. 1 that includes the support member.

FIG. 12 is a front view of the top housing of the battery pack of FIG. 1that includes the support member.

FIG. 13 is a rear view of the top housing of the battery pack of FIG. 1that includes the support member.

FIG. 14 is a rear section view of the top housing of the battery pack ofFIG. 1 that includes the support member.

FIG. 15 illustrates the interfacability of the battery pack of FIG. 1with various power tools.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the invention described herein are related to a batterypack that includes a support member. The battery pack is connectable toand supportable by a power tool that includes a motor (e.g., brushlessdirect current [“BLDC”] motor). The hand-held power tool includes, forexample, a housing, the motor, control electronics, one or moreterminals for electrically connecting the battery pack to the controlelectronics, a trigger, and an output device or mechanism to be drivenby the motor (see FIG. 15 ). The power tool can be, for example, ahammer drill/driver, a drill/driver, an impact driver, an impact wrench,etc.

The motor for the power tool receives power (i.e., voltage and current)from the battery pack, such as the battery pack 100 illustrated in FIGS.1-3 . The battery pack 100 is connectable to and supportable by thepower tool. As shown in FIGS. 1-3 , the battery pack 100 includes ahousing 105 and at least one rechargeable battery cell 110 supported bythe housing 105. In some embodiments, the housing 105 is made of a hardplastic material. The battery pack 100 also includes a support portion115 for supporting the battery pack 100 on and coupling the battery pack100 to a power tool, and a coupling mechanism 120 for selectivelycoupling the battery pack to, or releasing the battery pack 100 from,the power tool. In the illustrated embodiment, the support portion 115is connectable to a complementary support portion on the power tool(e.g., rails/grooves, etc.).

The battery pack 100 includes a plurality of terminals 125 within thesupport portion 115 and operable to electrically connect the batterycells 110 to a printed circuit board (“PCB”) 130 within the battery pack100. The plurality of terminals 125 includes, for example, a positivebattery terminal, a ground terminal, and a sense terminal. The batterypack 100 is removably and interchangeably connected to a power tool toprovide operational power to the power tool. The terminals 125 areconfigured to mate with corresponding power terminals extending from apower tool. The battery pack 100 substantially encloses and covers theterminals on the power tool when the pack 100 is positioned within thebattery pack receiving portion. That is, the battery pack 100 functionsas a cover for the opening and terminals of the power tool. Once thebattery pack 100 is disconnected from the power tool, the terminals onthe power tool are exposed to the surrounding environment.

In some embodiments, the battery pack 100 includes ten battery cells110. In other embodiments, the battery pack 100 includes more or fewerbattery cells 110. The battery cells 110 can be arranged in series,parallel, or a series-parallel combination. For example, the batterypack can include a total of ten battery cells 110 configured in aseries-parallel arrangement of five sets of two parallel-connectedcells. The series-parallel combination of battery cells 110 allows foran increased voltage and an increased capacity of the battery pack 100.In some embodiments, the battery pack 100 includes five series-connectedbattery cells 110. In other embodiments, the battery pack 100 includes adifferent number of battery cells (e.g., between three and twelvebattery cells) connected in series, parallel, or a series-parallelcombination in order to produce a battery pack having a desiredcombination of nominal battery pack voltage and capacity.

The battery cells are, for example, cylindrical 18650 battery cells (18mm diameter and 65 mm length). Each battery cell includes a cell axis135, a cell length, Lc, and a cell diameter, D_(c), as illustrated inFIGS. 4 and 5 . In other embodiments, the battery cells 110 are, forexample, cylindrical 14500 battery cells (14 mm diameter and 50 mmlength), 14650 battery cells (14 mm diameter and 65 mm length), 17500battery cells (17 mm diameter and 50 mm length), 17670 battery cells (17mm diameter and 67 mm length), 18500 battery cells (18 mm diameter and50 mm length), 26650 battery cells (26 mm diameter and 65 mm length),26700 battery cells (26 mm diameter and 70 mm length), etc. Each batterycell 110 can be generally cylindrical and can extend along the cell axis135 parallel to the cylindrical outer cell wall. Also, in the batterypack 100, each battery cell 110 can have a cell length, Lc, which isgreater than or equal to two times the cell diameter, Dc. In someembodiments, the battery cells are lithium-based prismatic battery cells(e.g., between 1.0 Ampere-hour (“Ah”) and 10.0 Ah in battery capacity)having dimensions of, for example, approximately 50 mm to approximately80 mm in length, approximately 60 mm to approximately 90 mm in width,and approximately 3 mm to approximately 8 mm in height. The prismaticbattery cells can be implemented using, for example, a woundconfiguration, a wound and flattened configuration, a wound and foldedconfiguration, or a layered and folded configuration. In the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 5 , the battery pack 100 includes ten battery cells110 that are arranged in three rows. The battery cells 110 in FIG. 5 areshown as being separated from one another for illustrative purposes.When the battery cells 110 are within the battery pack 100, the cells110 can be positioned in closer proximity to one another.

The battery cells 110 are lithium-based battery cells having a chemistryof, for example, lithium-cobalt (“Li—Co”), lithium-manganese (“Li—Mn”),or Li—Mn spinel. In some embodiments, the battery cells 110 have othersuitable lithium or lithium-based chemistries, such as a lithium-basedchemistry that includes manganese, etc. The battery cells within thebattery pack 100 provide operational power (e.g., voltage and current)to the power tool. In one embodiment, each battery cell 110 has anominal voltage of approximately 3.6 V, such that the battery pack has anominal voltage of approximately 18 V. In other embodiments, the batterycells have different nominal voltages, such as, for example, between 3.6V and 4.2 V, and the battery pack has a different nominal voltage, suchas, for example, 10.8 V, 12 V, 14.4 V, 24 V, 28 V, 36 V, 50 V, between10.8 V and 100 V, etc. The battery cells also have a capacity of, forexample, approximately between 1.0 Ah and 10.0 Ah. In exemplaryembodiments, the battery cells have capacities of approximately, 1.5 Ah,2.4 Ah, 3.0 Ah, 4.0 Ah, between 1.0 Ah and 10.0 Ah, etc.

The battery cells 110 are arranged and spaced apart from one another bythe battery pack 100 (e.g., each cell is provided in an individual cellreceiving area 140 within the battery pack 100 that spaces each cellapart) to reduce the cell-to-cell heat transfer between the batterycells 110 and to improve the collection and removal of heat from thebattery cells 110. In this manner, the battery cells 110 may be able tobe maintained in an appropriate temperature operating range (e.g., below60° C.) for longer durations of use. The battery cells 110 are alsoarranged to provide an efficient use of space and to maintain arelatively small pack size.

A top housing 145 of the housing 105 is illustrated in FIGS. 6-14 . Thetop housing 145 includes a support member 200 that is made from amaterial different from that of the top housing 145. The support member200 is located within the support portion 115 of the battery pack 100.The support member 200 is configured or operable to provide additionalsupport to the battery pack 100 when it is connected to a power tool.For example, if the power tool causes vibrations or severe vibrationswhen in use, the forces associated with those vibrations may besufficient to compromise the support portion 115 (e.g., when the supportportion 115 is made only of plastic or another similar material). Thesupport member 200 provides added support to the support portion 115 andreinforces the strength of the support portion 115 (e.g., the rails thatare used to slide the battery pack 100 onto a power tool). In someembodiments, the support member 200 is approximately the same size asthe support portion 115. In other embodiments, the support member 200 issmaller (shorter) in length than the support portion 115 or greater(longer) in length than the support portion 115 (e.g., to provideadditional support to the top housing 145).

The support member 200 includes a first portion 205, a second portion210, a third portion 215, a fourth portion 220, and a fifth portion 225.The first portion 205 is substantially flat and approximately parallelto a plane 150 of the top housing 145. In some embodiments, the supportmember 200 is substantially the same shape as the support portion 115.The second portion 210 and the third portion 215 are approximatelyperpendicular to the first portion 205 of the support member 200. Insome embodiments, the second portion 210 and the third portion 215 areintegrally formed with the first portion 205 or are coupled to the firstportion 205. In other embodiments, the second portion 210 and the thirdportion 215 are separate from the first portion 205. The fourth portion220 and the fifth portion 225 are approximately perpendicular to thesecond portion 210 and the third portion 215, respectively. In someembodiments, the fourth portion 220 and the fifth portion 225 aresubstantially parallel to the first portion 205 of the support member200. In some embodiments, the fourth portion 220 and the fifth portion225 are integrally formed with the second portion 210 and the thirdportion 215, respectively, or are coupled to the second portion 210 andthe third portion 215, respectively. In other embodiments, the fourthportion 220 and the fifth portion 225 are separate from the secondportion 210 and the third portion 215.

In some embodiments, the support member 200 does not include each of thefirst portion 205, the second portion 210, the third portion 215, thefourth portion 220, and the fifth portion 225. Rather, the supportmember 200 includes one or more of the first portion 205, the secondportion 210, the third portion 215, the fourth portion 220, and thefifth portion 225. For example, the support member 200 can include thefirst portion 205, the second portion 210, and the third portion 215. Inother embodiments, the support member 200 includes the second portion210 and the third portion 215, or the support member 200 includes thefourth portion 220 and the fifth portion 225. In some embodiments, thesupport member 200 includes the second portion 210, the third portion215, the fourth portion 220, and the fifth portion 225.

In the illustrated embodiments of the support member 200, the supportmember 200 is formed within the top housing 145 (e.g., is insert moldedinto the housing 105). In other embodiments, the support member 200 isaffixed, attached, or fastened to a top portion of the top housing 145and/or is affixed, attached, or fastened to a bottom portion of the tophousing 145. In some embodiments, the shape of the top housing followsthe shape of the support portion 115 and the rails associated with thesupport portion 115 for securing the battery pack 100 to a power tool.In some embodiments, the support member 200 is made of a metal ormetallic material. The metal material is, for example, steel, iron,copper, aluminum, titanium, tin, zinc, nickel, cobalt, and/or an alloyof one or more metals. In some embodiments, the support member 200includes a plurality of perforations (e.g., holes, apertures, etc.), asillustrated in FIGS. 6-14 . In other embodiments, the support member 200does not include perforations (e.g., is unperforated). In alternativeembodiments, the support member 200 is made from a non-metallicmaterial, such as a polymer, a dense plastic, carbon fiber, etc.

FIG. 15 illustrates the interfacability of the battery pack 100 withvarious power tools. For example, the battery pack 100 can be interfacedwith a hammer drill/driver 300, a drill/driver 305, an impact driver310, an impact wrench 315, etc., via the support portion 115 and thecomplementary interface portions of the power tools.

Thus, the invention provides, among other things, a battery pack for apower tool that includes a top housing having a support member. Variousfeatures and advantages of the invention are set forth in the followingclaims.

What is claimed is: 1-20. (canceled)
 21. A battery pack connectable toand supportable by a power tool, the battery pack comprising: a printedcircuit board; a plurality of terminals electrically connected to theprinted circuit board and configured to interface with correspondingterminals of the power tool; and a battery pack housing including abattery pack top housing, the battery pack top housing including asupport portion connectable to a complementary support portion of thepower tool to mate the battery pack with the power tool, the supportportion including at least one support member within the supportportion, the at least one support member made of a metallic material andconfigured to reinforce the support portion of the battery pack tophousing, wherein the at least one support member includes a firstportion and a second portion, and wherein the first portion isapproximately perpendicular to the second portion.
 22. The battery packof claim 21, wherein: the at least one support member includes a thirdportion and a fourth portion; and the third portion is approximatelyperpendicular to the fourth portion.
 23. The battery pack of claim 22,wherein: the first portion is approximately parallel to the thirdportion; and the second portion is approximately parallel to the fourthportion.
 24. The battery pack of claim 21, wherein the metallic materialis selected from the group consisting of steel, iron, copper, aluminum,titanium, tin, zinc, nickel, and cobalt.
 25. The battery pack of claim21, further comprising a plurality of battery cells.
 26. The batterypack of claim 25, wherein each of the plurality of battery cells has alength of 50 millimeters to 70 millimeters.
 27. The battery pack ofclaim 25, wherein each of the plurality of battery cells has a batterycell nominal voltage, and the battery pack has a nominal voltage ofbetween 10.8V and 100V.
 28. A battery pack connectable to andsupportable by a power tool, the battery pack comprising: a printedcircuit board; a plurality of terminals electrically connected to theprinted circuit board and configured to interface with correspondingterminals of the power tool; and a battery pack housing including abattery pack top housing, the battery pack top housing including asupport portion connectable to a complementary support portion of thepower tool to mate the battery pack with the power tool, the supportportion also including at least one support member molded within thesupport portion, the at least one support member reinforcing the supportportion of the battery pack top housing, wherein the at least onesupport member includes a first portion and a second portion, andwherein the first portion is approximately parallel to the secondportion.
 29. The battery pack of claim 28, wherein: the at least onesupport member further includes a third portion and a fourth portion;and the third portion is approximately parallel to the fourth portion.30. The battery pack of claim 29, wherein: the first portion isapproximately perpendicular to the third portion; and the second portionis approximately perpendicular to the fourth portion.
 31. The batterypack of claim 28, wherein the at least one support member is made of ametallic material.
 32. The battery pack of claim 31, wherein themetallic material is selected from the group consisting of steel, iron,copper, aluminum, titanium, tin, zinc, nickel, and cobalt.
 33. Thebattery pack of claim 28, further comprising a plurality of batterycells, wherein each of the plurality of battery cells has a battery cellnominal voltage, and the battery pack has a nominal voltage of between10.8 V and 100 V.
 34. The battery pack of claim 28, wherein the supportmember is one of shorter in length than the support portion of thebattery pack top housing or longer in length than the support portion ofthe battery pack top housing.
 35. The battery pack of claim 28, furthercomprising a plurality of battery cells, wherein each of the pluralityof battery cells has a length of 50 millimeters to 70 millimeters.
 36. Abattery pack connectable to and supportable by a power tool, the batterypack comprising: a printed circuit board; a plurality of terminalselectrically connected to the printed circuit board and configured tointerface with corresponding terminals of the power tool; and a batterypack housing including a battery pack top housing, the battery pack tophousing including a support portion connectable to a complementarysupport portion of the power tool to mate the battery pack with thepower tool, the support portion including a support member within thesupport portion, the support member reinforcing the support portion ofthe battery pack top housing, wherein the support member includes afirst portion, a second portion, a third portion, and a fourth portion,wherein the first portion is approximately parallel to the third portionand the second portion is approximately parallel to the fourth portion,wherein the first portion is approximately perpendicular to andintegrally formed with the second portion, and wherein the third portionis approximately perpendicular to and integrally formed with the fourthportion.
 37. The battery pack of claim 36, wherein the support member ismade of a metallic material.
 38. The battery pack of claim 36, whereinthe metallic material is selected from the group consisting of steel,iron, copper, aluminum, titanium, tin, zinc, nickel, and cobalt.
 39. Thebattery pack of claim 36, further comprising a plurality of batterycells, wherein each of the plurality of battery cells has a length of 50millimeters to 70 millimeters.
 40. The battery pack of claim 39, whereineach of the plurality of battery cells has a capacity of between 1.0ampere-hours and 10.0 ampere-hours.